Shade-roller.



A. MULEAN.

SHADE ROLLER.

APPLIGATION FILED APR.,30, 1913.

Patented Malt 24, 191% .ANDREW MCLEAN, 0F PASSAIC, NEW JERSEY.`

SHADE-ROLLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

j Patented Mar. 241C, 19141:.

Application filed April 30, 1913. Serial No. 764,497.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ANDREW MCLEAN, citizen ofthe United States, and resident of Passaic, county of Iassaic, and Stateof New Jersey, have invented an Improvement in Shade-Rollers, of whichthe following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a construction of shade rollerin which the pintle shall be longitudinally adjustable, so as to givecapacity for adjustment between the end supports, whereby the totallength of the distance between said supports for the spring shaftextension at one end and the pintle at the other end may vary and thesaid shaft extension and pintle of the roller automatically adaptthemselves to the distance between the supports at all times. In thismanner, the shade roller may be easily installed, as no nice positioningof the bearings apart is required, since any variation in the distancewill be compensated for by the employment of a longitudinally adjustablepintle bearing at one end of the roller, the extent of adjustment ofwhich is greater lthan any allowable irregularity in spacing thesupports.

My improvements also provide capacity for installing the shade roller inthe supports or bearings, by rst inserting the journal of the springactuated pintle in its support or bracket, and then inserting thefiattened end of the spring shaft into the polygonal hole in its bracketor support, whereby the roller may be arranged close up to the head ofthe window frame, because no head room is required for adjustment, as isnecessary with shade rollers in common use.

My invention consists of a shade roller having a pintle at one endadjustable longitudinally in metallic bearings and having a collar whichlimits its movement, and a spring surrounding the pintle body andcontained within the. roller, one end of the spring bearing against thecollar and the other end supported by the inner metallic bearing for thepintle body, whereby the pintle is guided in durable bearings and nor-Vmally spring pressed outward, all of which is more fully describedhereinafter and more particularly defined in the claims.

My invention will be better understood by reference to the drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a shade roller embodying my improvements,each end of the roller structure being in section for more clearlydisclosing the nature of the invention; Fig. 2 is a cross section of thesame on line w-; and Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the pintleend'of a shade roller having a metal arrel an'dalso embodying myimprovenients.

2 is the wooden roller and lmay have the' usual spring shaft 3 andratchet collar 3a, pawls 8", and spring 4 at one end to make itself-winding, the shaft 3 having the polygonal end 5 fitting acorresponding hole in the supporting bracket 6. In this case, however,the polygonal aperture in the bracket need not be open at the top, asheretofore has been customary. The other end of the roller is boredaxially to a considerable depth to pro vide a hole of two diameters, theouter boring 7 having the larger diameter and the inner boring 8 thesmaller diameter, the total length of the hole being somewhat greaterthan the pintle which works in it.

10 isa metallic washer or annular disk which is forced down in the holeportion 7 of larger diameter and seats upon the wooden shoulder 9between the two -parts 7 and 8 of the hole, the hole in this disk beingsomewhat less in diameter than the hole 8. Fitting over the end of theroller is the end cap 17 which has at its center an apertureconstituting a bearing or guide 18 for the pintle. The pintle consistsof a straight piece of rod turned down to different `diameters toprovide the operative parts as follows: The body part 13 is extended at11 through the bearing or guide 18 and provided with a col lar 14 whichis of less diameter than the diameter of the hole 7 but which isconiined therein and acts as a stop by coming in contact with the endcap to limit the outward movement of the pintle; the extreme outer endof the part 1l of the body is provided with the journal 12 of smallerdiameter, which is received in the bearing 19a in the bracket or support19; and the eXtreme inner end of the body part 13 is provided with anextension 15 of smaller diameter which is guided through the hole of thewasher or annular disk, whereby it is guided in a metal bearing and keptclear of the rough bored hole 8 in the wood. This pintle, furthermore,provides a shoulder 2O between the parts 13 and 15, which may act as alimit stop by coming in Contact with the disk 10 and thereby prevent theinward thrust of the pintle Vcausing its end 12 to pass through theguide bearing 18; but on the other hand,

it insures that the journal end 12 shall always remain extended beyondthe guide 18.

Surrounding the body of the pintle is a coilspring 16, one end of whichrests against the metallic disk 10 and the other end against the collar14 of the pintle, with result of forcing the pintle outward with ayielding pressure and allowing it to adapt itself to the bearing in thebracket-19. In this manner the brackets 6 and 19 may be attached to thewindow frame in approximately the relative positions desired and theadjustability of the pintle will compensate for any inaccuracy in thepositioning or distance apart intended or desired. The spring 16 is of adiameter which loosely lits the body part 13 and so as to be held clearof the rough sides of the hole 7 in the wood in which it is housed.

By the employment of my improvements, no skill is required in installingthe shade roller and its supports, and no danger will arise by reason ofthe roller falling owing to the supports being slightly too far apart,as frequently happens with the ordinary constructions of rollers havingfixed pintles. No head room is required for inserting the roller in itssupports and the adjustment upon the brackets is more easily made thanin the rollers having fixed pintles.

In the construction shown in Fig. 3, the roller 2b is of tin `in tubularform and is fitted with a wooden plug 2a having the construction shownin Fig. 1 in respect to the adjustable pintle.

While a self-winding means is desirable for the roller and is commonlyemployed with my improvement, I do not restrict myself to such use as myadjustable pintle may be employed in the end of any type of roller whichis to be supported at each end.

I have shown my invention in its preferred form, but the minor detailsmay be modified without departing 'from the spirit of the invention.

^ Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is l 1. In a shade roller, the combination ofthe roller having a wooden end bored inward with two diameters, thelarger being ar' ranged at the outer end, an annular metallic disk setinto the bottom of the larger hole of the roller and providing an axialbearing in alinement with the smaller hole, an outer metallic bearingaxially arranged with the roller and holes therein and attached to theend thereof, a pintle consisting of a body extending through the outerearing and having an inwardly directed guiding extension working throughthe hole of the annular disk, and said pintle further having a collarabout the body portion to limit the outward movement of the pintle bycoming in contact with the outer bearing and also having a journal atthe extreme o uter end of the body, and a coil spring surrounding thebody of the pintle and having one end pressing against the collarthereof and the other end pressing against the annular disk, whereby thepintle is normally held in an outward position of adjustment but is atall times free to be forced inward in its metallic bearings in adaptingthe roller to the sup` ports or to compensate for varying distancesbetween the supports.

2. In a shade roller, the combination of the roller havin a wooden endbored inward with two iameters, the larger being arranged at the outerend, an annular metallic disk set into the bottom of the larger hole ofthe roller and providing an axial bearing in alinement with the smallerhole, an outer metallic bearing axially arranged with the roller andholes therein and at` tached to the end thereof, a pintle consisting ofa body extending through the outer bearing and having an inwardlydirected collar about the body portion to limit the outward movement ofthe pintle by coming in contact with the outerbearing and also having ajournal at the extreme outer end of the body, and a coil springvsurrounding the body of the pintle and having one end pressing againstthe collar thereof and the other end pressing against the annular disk,whereby the pintle is normally held in an outward position of adjustmentbut is at all times free to be forced inward in its `metallic bearingsin adapting the roller to the supports or to compensate for varyingdistances between the supports.

3. In a shade roller, the combination of the roller body having at oneend a shaft having a polygonal end and a winding spring between theshaft and the roller body, a support for the polygonal end of the saidshaft, a support having a journal bearing for the other end of theroller, and means at said other end of the' roller for connecting itwith the journal bearing of the last mentioned support, consisting of alongitudinally adjustable pintle having a collar intermediate of itsends and a journal at the #xtreme end, metallic guides for the pintlesecured to the roller at opposite sides of the collar of the pintle, andacoil spring sur` rounding the pintle and having one end pressingagainst the collar and the other end pressing upon the inner of themetallic guides.

4. A shade roller, having an end portion bored with a hole of twodiameters, the larger extending to the end of the roller,

the pintle and having one end 'pressing 10 against the collar thereofand the other end pressing against the inner metallic guide.

In testimony of which invention, I hereunto set my hand.

. ANDREW MGLEAN.

Witnesses:

GILBERT D. BAYARD, A. W. SHAW, Jr.

